Page 11 of Juliet & Her Romeos

He’ll destroy my hope of us both being bonded by the Romeos.

Dimitri marches with clipped steps into the shadowy practice room. The moonlight through the glass walls glimmers over his military neat ice white hair and beard. His pale blue eyes blaze.

He’s wearing an immaculate ivory shirt that strains to contain his bear like muscles, as well as pants that are held up by a wide leather belt, which he loves to use on his male students.

He’s twice the size of Swan and like a giant next to me.

Every Omega instinct inside me is telling me to drop to my knees to appease this Alpha, who’s letting out wave after wave of furious pheromones, or at least to fucking run.

I force myself to do neither.

Swan and I have fallen in love. We kissed each other.

I won’t let Swan take the blame alone.

“We only wanted to get in some extra rehearsal time,” I blurt, “with the contest being so close.”

Our love has to be secret. I wish that it didn’t.

But it’s forbidden.

Dimitri ignores me. His gaze is focused on Swan.

Dimitri is vibrating with rage.

His furious scent of burned coffee makes bile rise up the back of my throat.

I gag.

Concerned, Swan reaches around to grip me by the elbow and steady me.

Then he straightens his back, pushing his hair behind his ears to meet Dimitri’s eyes. “You did tell me in class today that if I didn’t improve, I’d win myself a one-way ticket to Siberia.”

“I must have missed the exercise that I set with yourlips.” Dimitri reaches out, gripping Swan by the chin.

Swan stills, hardly daring to breathe.

In contrast, I’m breathing so fast that I’m struggling not to tip into panic attack.

My lungs burn.

I’m desperate to bat Dimitri’s hand away, but he’s the Alpha who runs this academy with an iron will along with his mom.

If I openly fight back, I’ll only make things worse for the hundreds of students who are training here.

Dimitri pushes back Swan’s head, baring his neck.

No one should be forced into that submissive gesture.

Swan is shaking from the effort not to pull away.

“I welcome your correction, Mr. Dimitri,” Swan says through clenched teeth. It’s a familiar rote response. “May Juliet return to our dorm room, before you discipline me further? I’m the one who’s at fault."

Noble asshole.

“We were only practicing the kiss between Romeo and Juliet at the end of the dance,” I hurriedly lie.

I’m surprised by the flash of jealousy across Dimitri’s face that he’s not able to hide behind his cold mask quickly enough.

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